The Education of Don Eppes
by CatwomanNY
Summary: Charlotte Stegmann, Charlie to her friends, met Charlie Eppes at Princeton and they became fast friends. When she shows up in LA, she quickly falls for Don, but can a love between a shrink and a FBI agent work?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: A Don-centric story…because I can't write geek as well as I write LEO (law enforcement officers) fluff and Don just does it for me (I'd write about his eyes, but really, it's just the manliness and the tenderness all wrapped into one very handsome package). I do not, however know psychology aside from what I've learned on "Criminal Minds" and other TV shows (ha ha) so if that stuff is off, I am sorry, but it sounded really good as I typed it._

_Hmm, are there any spoilers? I don't think so. No infringement is intended, but I haven't hit the lotto yet so you'll get nothing if you sue me anyway. Charlotte Stegmann (and her not yet created family) does belong to me so please ask to arrange play dates. Rated M because I am, and Don and Charlotte haven't quite told me how descriptive they want me to be yet. Other than that…enjoy!_

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It was a hot summer day in Los Angeles as Charlotte Stegmann walked up to the once familiar house. The last time she'd walked up the front stairs it had been three years ago and it hadn't been for a pleasant experience. Now, there was a smile on her face since she was eager to see her old friend. She traveled so much with her job that seeing friends was an unusual and uplifting experience and she'd known Charlie Eppes since college, though they'd drifted over the past few years due to her travel.

"Hey Charlie!" Alan Eppes smiled as he invited the young woman into the house after hugging her. "How was your flight?"

"It was a flight." Charlotte laughed. "It is so good to see you, Alan. How have you been?"

He ushered her into the sitting room. "I've been good. Sold the house to Charlie and I am now living rent free for the first time in my adult life." He laughed. "What about you?"

"Yeah, Charlie told me something about him buying the house from you. I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, but it's good to know that he and Don are taking care of you now."

"Well, I don't know about that, but it's good to have both of them around again. Don't worry about me, Charlie. I'm sure you have more important people's heads to shrink." The older man smiled just as the front door opened again. "Hey Charlie, look who stopped by."

Charlotte smiled and quickly hugged her friend. It was so good to see him again. It was so good to see anyone she knew. She spent so much time on the road tending to strangers that to actually see a friend was comforting. "Hi there."

"Hey. I didn't expect you for another hour." Charlie gladly sat down next to his old friend. "How long have you been here?"

"I was able to catch an earlier flight." She smiled softly. It was so relaxing to spend time with him and the next hour seemed like it was only a minute, and that minute seemed to last all night.

"Why don't you let me buy you dinner?" Charlie stood up realizing just how long they'd been catching up.

"No, I really can't. I have to prepare for tomorrow, but I will take a rain check." She smiled and stood up.

"Well, if I can't buy you dinner then at least let me make you dinner." The last thing he wanted was to see her go so soon. It felt as though she'd only just gotten there and he certainly hadn't seen her in person for at least two years.

"That I might take you up on." Charlotte smiled again. "It's been a very long time since I've had a good home cooked meal. Eating in restaurants just isn't the specialty it was when we were kids."

About an hour later, as they sat in the dining room sharing coffee and more conversation, the front door opened again. "Hey Don, you remember Charlie, right?" Alan Eppes gestured to Charlotte.

"Of course, I remember Charlie. He's been my brother for all but five years of my life." Don Eppes eyed his father suspiciously. Was the old man losing it? How could he not remember his brother, especially since they were working a case together?

"Not that Charlie, Don."

"Charlotte Stegmann, Don. It's good to see you again." She stood up, politely silencing the older Eppes.

Suddenly, a spark of recognition hit him. She sure had grown up since the last time they'd met. "Charlie! Of course, please forgive me. It's been awhile." He hugged her with a smile. "How have you been?"

"Good, thank you. How about you?" The laugh caught in her throat, though she really wanted to howl. The look on the older Eppes brother was priceless. Don Eppes hadn't remembered her being at his mother's funeral, with good reason, she admitted, but he looked as if he was still remembering her as the pimple-faced teenager from Charlie's dorm. "I'm guessing your brother didn't tell you I was coming in."

"He must have and I just forgot it. Work has that effect on me." He smiled again as he drank her all in. "So, how long are you here for?"

"My contract stipulates six weeks, but I'm thinking I'm here for the semester." There was a look of confusion in his eyes again as they sat down at the table again. "OK, I guess both your father and your brother have kept you in the dark. Either that or the FBI has." She laughed. "I'm a psychiatrist specializing in family counseling for families who have gifted children. The schools help the student to adjust academically, but they fall short in making sure the families do emotionally."

"A position you are uniquely qualified for." The look of confusion was replaced by a smile. "So, which school are you at for the fall semester?"

"She's at UCLA." Charlie jumped in, not wanting his big brother to take over his conversation.

"Yep, there's a new twelve year old who thinks she can play with the big boys. I'm sure she's got the mind for it, I've seen her portfolio, but I think this might be too big an environment for her."

"What is she studying?" Don asked.

Charlotte just smiled. "I've already told you too much. I'm not even technically allowed to confirm or deny that she's my patient."

"But is she really your patient or is it just her parents?" It was Alan's turn to jump into the conversation, but Charlotte just sat back and smiled again. "Pesky thing that Doctor-Patient Confidentiality." They shared a laugh and it seemed to break the tension that had built up. It was rare to see his two sons compete over a woman, though it shouldn't have surprised him since they seemed to compete over everything else. What surprised him the most was the fact that Charlie had come right out and said that he had no interest in Charlotte. Was it just the fact that he saw Don flirting with her that now suddenly he wanted her? Alan wasn't sure, but he figured he was close.

Charlotte noticed the competition as well and decided to make her exit. She and Charlie had never had any interest for each other outside of friendship, but suddenly he was fighting for her simply because his brother was not so subtly flirting with her. If she remembered correctly, Don Eppes flirted with everything in a skirt without even knowing he was doing it. With his ravishing good looks, it came easy and it was hard for any woman to say no, but there was always a first time. "Alan, Charlie, thank you for dinner, but I really should be getting back to my hotel." As she arose, so did all three of the Eppes men. She had to remember that they were all gentlemen. "Don, it was good to see you again."

"Same here." He hugged her again as all three of them walked her to the door.

"Are you comfortable getting back to your hotel in the dark?" Alan asked.

"A few refresher directions wouldn't hurt." She smiled, grateful to have at least one father left on earth.

"I'm headed back to the office anyway, so why don't you just follow me?" Don volunteered; completely unaware of the glare he was getting from his brother.

"You're headed out so soon?" Alan looked over at his eldest son.

"Yeah, I just stopped by to grab Charlie. Eppes, not Stegmann." He grinned at Charlotte who just shook her head. "I need him for this case we're working."

"The equation isn't working? Or are there more variables?" Charlie asked, his minor tiff forgotten for the moment.

"More variables." It was Don's turn to be evasive. "So, what hotel are you staying at?" He looked back at the gorgeous brunette.

"I'm at the Courtyard off of West Olympic."

"Oh, that's easy. Just follow me and I'll take you there." She took him up on his offer with another one of her beautiful and amazing smiles that caused her bright blue eyes to sparkle.

"Do you always have to do that?" Charlie asked once they were in the car.

"Do what?"

"Flirt with every woman who steps into our house."

"I was not flirting, Charlie. I was merely being polite. The girl is new in town and I don't want to hear that anything bad happened to her." He looked over just in time to see his brother roll his eyes and turn towards the window.

Charlotte grinned as she followed the big black SUV to her hotel. She could only imagine the conversation that was taking place ahead of her. There was a look of both jealousy and distain on the face of Charlie when they left, though she couldn't understand it, but she figured she never would. She and her sister never really saw eye to eye on anything, much less men, so there were never competitions like the one she had witnessed inside the familiar Eppes house.

"I thank you very much for the escort." Charlotte laughed slightly as she approached Don.

"Anytime. And if you need someone to show you around L.A. a little in your spare time, just give me a call." He handed her his business card before he hugged her. "I know how hard it is to be in a foreign city and not know anyone." This time he was being serious. He'd moved around enough with the FBI to know first hand what she was feeling. There was only so much work that could be done before the loneliness and restlessness set in.

"Thank you, Don. I appreciate that." There was a sudden urge to touch his face, but she fought it and simply kissed his cheek before saying her goodbyes to Charlie.


	2. Chapter 2

Three weeks later, Don found he was actually able to spend a Friday night at home and took advantage of it. There were way too many seven day weeks and times when all he had time to do in his apartment was shower and shave before heading back to the office. So, he settled in to watch a ball game, not expecting a knock on the door at eight o'clock.

"I decided to take you up on your offer and took a chance that you might be home. I brought dinner." Charlotte smiled as she gestured to the pizza box and six-pack of beer she was carrying.

"You didn't have to bring anything." Don grinned as he ushered her in, taking her presents to the kitchen. "I was just watching the Dodger game if you want to join me." As he turned around, he saw she had already plopped down on his couch.

"Thanks." She took the cold beer from him and curled up on one end of the couch. "Now, I think we're going to have a problem, Don. It's not a Dodger game; it's a Colorado Rockies game." She grinned over at him as he laughed.

"You're a Rockies fan, I see. OK, how about I rephrase it to baseball game."

"I'll accept that." She nodded and happily settled into watch the action on the screen.

By the end of the night, Don found himself in the middle of the couch with his arm around a sleeping Charlotte. Somewhere around the tenth inning, she'd curled up next to him, and fallen asleep on his shoulder. There was not a bone in his body that was complaining, but it did present a unique problem. He didn't want to wake her up, but he was pretty sure that she didn't want to spend the entire night at his apartment. His more chivalrous side won out and he gently placed her down on the couch, grabbing an extra blanket from the closet to cover her.

The morning light found Charlotte only after the enticing aroma of the brewing coffee wafting over from the kitchen. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was and why she was there, but, finding herself still in the same clothes she'd put on the night before, she remembered what had happened. "You cook too. Wow, I'm impressed."

"It's only coffee and I'm not even sure it's good coffee." Don grinned as she did, walking up to the kitchen counter. Even with her hair slightly askew and looking very groggy, she looked attractive.

"I'm sure it's better than airport coffee, don't worry. Besides, I tend to view coffee as the breakfast of champions. I'm not exactly a morning person."

"You could have fooled me."

"You always did have a sense of humor." She rolled her eyes and laughed as she took the mug from him.

"OK, my curiosity has won out. You have been implying since you arrived that you know me better than I seem to know you. Why is that?"

A deep, yet light and bubbly, laugh erupted before Charlotte could contain it. "I'm sorry, but you always were a little shortsighted. Apparently you have no remembrance of the year I spent working on my thesis." There was a look of confusion on Don's face and she nodded. "I didn't think so. You were in college, playing ball, and chasing anything with a rack in a bikini, but I spent the summer with your family observing the relationship between your brother and you and your family as a unit. When I was in med school, I did part of my residency at UCLA and there was many a night that I crashed on your couch after staying up all night playing chess with Charlie. And then there was the last time I was here, but I can understand you not remembering that."

"Actually, I do remember you at Mom's funeral. As for the rest, I don't know where I was that I don't remember how much time you spent at our house."

"Hey," she gently touched his hand as he shook his head, "you always were a very focused individual. No one is faulting you for that. I wouldn't have expected you to remember every last second that I was there because I was usually hanging out with Charlie. I didn't really learn any social skills until I was in med school. You see, gifted children, gifted people, can operate just fine in their own little world, but in the real world, we're like fish out of water." It was her turn to shake her head. "Sorry, I'm so used to giving my little speech that I don't even know when I'm doing it anymore."

"No problem here." He smiled again. "So, do you want to tell me why you're a Colorado Rockies fan?"

"You mean other than the fact that I own a house in Silverthorne, Colorado and try to catch a game every time I'm in town?"

"That's a valid reason."

"I thought so." She laughed again. "Charlie got me hooked on the game back in college and I've been enthralled with it ever since."

"Wow, you and Charlie were really close."

"Yes, we were on the same track at Princeton and our mothers were best friends." She felt herself blushing slightly. "Your brother even gave me my first kiss."

Don laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not. We were sophomores and we were both experiencing strange emotions."

"And?"

"It felt like I was kissing my sister." She sipped her coffee before she could smile.

Don couldn't contain his laughter. "Wait until I tell him that you said that."

She caught his hand again. "You can't, Don. We were teenagers. We didn't know what we were doing. I especially don't think that Charlie knew what he was doing. He never quite struck me as a 'ladies man'. Please, that has to be between us."

"If you tell me one thing." He looked into her eyes as she nodded. "What happened? I mean if you were so close and you spent so much time together in the past, why don't you come around much anymore?"

"Time, distance, my job, maybe a combination of the three. After Princeton, I went to Columbia for my masters and Ph.D. and then it was Yale for medical school. Besides, my job usually takes me to a new university every school year. Your brother went on another path. We still email and he's been out to my house a few times, so we haven't lost touch completely, it's just that our relationship has changed." It was his turn to nod and she just smiled.

"Hey, Charlie." Don called out as he walked into his brother's house the next day.

"He's outside." Alan answered. "You need him for another case?"

"No, this is something else. Maybe you can answer this."

"I'll try."

"When Charlie was at Princeton, did he and Charlotte ever date?"

Alan laughed slightly. "Don, they were kids. Besides, their mothers were there, there was nothing happening between the two of them. Why?"

Don deflected the fatherly look with a shake of his head. "No, no reason. I just thought it strange that he's known Charlie for so long and they never even went out."

"They are too close. At least I think that's why they didn't. Why? Are you interested?"

Again, he deflected the fatherly smile with a quick check of his watch. "I really should get back to the office. Tell Charlie I'll call him later."

Alan stood in the foyer and smiled as he watched his eldest son make a hasty retreat. Maybe, just maybe, he may see grandchildren in his lifetime, he thought to himself as he shut the door. And he most certainly wouldn't disapprove of Don bringing Charlotte home, but he'd seen the glances that Charlie had shot to Charlotte over the past few weeks. It was clear that she wasn't interested, but he wasn't sure that Charlie wasn't anymore. It was something he was going to have to be watchful of.


	3. Chapter 3

"Charlie, you're early." Charlotte almost whined as she tied her robe and ran for the door a week later. "Oh," she said in surprise as she stared the other Eppes brother standing in the hall, "I was expecting Charlie, Don."

"Yeah, I would have called first, but Charlie just called me on my way out of my apartment. Said that he was going to be stuck at the university longer than expected and asked if I could pick you up."

She smiled. "No problem. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be all set."

"Sounds good." He smiled as she turned and went back into her bedroom. "This place is nice. Different from the Courtyard though."

"Yeah, they only put me up at the Courtyard until this sublet was ready. I've been here about three weeks now." She called back from behind the door. "I have to say, it's nice, but I miss the daily maid service." She listened to him laugh and she smiled. "Make yourself at home. I'll be right out."

When she stepped out of her bedroom ten minutes later, Don tried, in vain, to cover his smile. Her long brown locks were pinned on the top of her head in a sea of curls that he could almost see himself getting lost in if he weren't already lost in her deep blue eyes. Eyes that reminded him of the ocean, vast and yet so bright and clear, and accented perfectly by the sapphire blue pantsuit that clung to her every curve. "You look really nice." Though that was a vast understatement. She looked like he'd never seen her look before. She looked like a beautiful woman. A fact he was grateful he wasn't missing anymore.

"Thank you." Charlotte grabbed her purse with a smile. "You know, you never would have struck me as one who would be attending a Charlie Eppes lecture."

"I'm usually not, but he hinted that some of the cases that he and I have worked together on might be part of this one, so I thought it might be fun." He helped her into the SUV. "Do you mind if I ask you a professional question?"

"Hit me. What can I do for Special Agent Eppes?"

Shifting into drive, he smiled over at her and saw the grin on her face that made her eyes dance even more than they were. "There's this case I'm working on that involves a young kid who witnessed something horrible. Ever since that incident, the child hasn't talked, and we really need him to at least tell us something. The best shrinks that The Bureau has access to can't seem to break through the shield."

"And you thought, since fate has so neatly dropped me into your car for the next half-hour, that you could convince me to take a swing." She watched him smirk and she laughed. "You got it, Agent Eppes, but I have to warn you, I don't come cheap."

"I didn't expect that you would. For a world-renowned child psychologist of your caliber I'm willing to bust my budget, if you can help us get a lead."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about money. I'll help you out if you escort me to a speaking engagement that UCLA has asked me to give." She saw a look of confusion on his face. "You see, I'm asked to give these speeches at most of the schools that I work at and, inevitably, I am asked out by every egomaniacal nut job on campus. I was going to ask Charlie, but since you want me to consult for the FBI, I'm going to ask you to pay in trade. That is if you own a tux."

It was his turn to laugh. "Yeah, I own a tux. Now, is 'nut job' a technical term?"

"Highly."

The next morning, Don walked his six-year-old witness into Charlotte's office as she had requested. Hers was an office that was a lot homier than any of the others he'd brought him to in the past. That might just be the aspect that made all the difference. That and the fact that Charlotte was the top in her field.

"Hi there. My name is Charlie. What's yours?" She crouched down so she could be at eye level with her new patient.

The young boy looked at her with a confused look. "Charlie's a boy's name."

"It is, but my name is short for Charlotte."

"Oh. My name is Daniel, but everyone calls me Danny."

"Good to meet you, Danny." Charlotte extended her hand with a smile. "Do you want to come with me into this other room and talk for a little bit?"

"Can Agent Don come too?"

"That's up to you. Do you want him to join us?"

The boy looked up at Don with pleading eyes. "Can you come with me?"

Don felt his heart melt and he smiled. "I'd love to, Buddy."

Charlotte stood up and opened the adjoining door, shooting a warm smile to Don. "Go ahead in and grab any toy you want." Danny wouldn't let go of Don's hand. "We're right behind you. You're safe." The three of them walked in as a unit and she had to close the door before he would let go. "You're looking for an authority figure, probably a woman."

"That could be why he hasn't spoken until now. He's been in protective custody."

"Where all he's seen are women carrying a badge and a gun. Don, please, let him spend some time outside of the FBI."

Don nodded. "OK, Buddy. I'm going to let you and Charlotte play. I'll be right outside if you need me."

Danny suddenly looked terrified and grabbed Don's hand. "You're not staying?"

He looked at Charlotte who gestured to the boy. "Do you want me to stay while you two talk?" The boy nodded. "Then I'm staying right here."

It took another ten minutes before the child calmed down enough to begin the interview and Charlotte took it very slow. It was obvious that this child had been traumatized in the worst possible way and exposing him to even more people who he didn't know and most who carried a badge of some kind was not the best course of action. After talking for an hour, she finally learned that Danny had a grandmother in Nevada, and he had watched a cop murder his parents while he hid in his tree house. There was no doubt in her mind why she preferred working with gifted children and not having a normal practice.

The three of them had talked for over an hour and a half and Don was amazed by the strength of the young boy. He had given him so many leads that he figured that the killer would be behind bars before sundown, but it was clear that the conversation had taken it's toll on Charlotte. The smile on her face was forced towards the end, and after hugging Danny goodbye, she looked so sullen and withdrawn. "Thanks, Charlie." He hugged her as they stood up.

"No problem." She felt a tear escape her eye as he held her close and she pulled away, quickly wiping her cheek. "I want to start seeing him on a regular basis for the next few weeks. It should help him return to normal."

He nodded before whispering. "Are you OK?"

"I'll be fine." He offered to embrace her once more but she refused. "Go. I don't want him seeing me like this."

"Hey there." Charlie smiled as he saw Charlotte walk into his classroom a half hour later. "What's up?"

"Not much." She leaned against a desk, crossing her arms and looking at the ground. "I just wanted to stop by and see you. We haven't spent that much time together lately."

There was something about her that seemed off to him. "You want to go grab some lunch?" She looked at him and smiled ruefully. "Great. I'm done for the day so why don't we go back to my house and we can talk. Spend some real time together." She nodded and he thought he saw a tear in her eye, so he put his arm around her shoulders and walked her down to his car. "You want to talk about what ever it is that's bothering you?"

She looked over at him as they sat out back at his house. "No, it's nothing." She forced a smile. "I just don't know how you do it, Charlie. How do you work with your brother on all of these cases and not have it affect you?"

"You were working on a case with Don? What happened?"

"No, nothing happened. I just helped him out by having a session with his six-year-old witness and I just saw so much pain and trauma to such a young creature. How do people do that to one another?" She shook her head and laughed slightly. "I now see why I specialized in gifted children and didn't decide to take the usual cases. I guess I've been out of touch for a long time."

"Not at all, Charlie." Just then, his cell rang with Don's number. "Excuse me."

"Is Charlie with you?" Don asked as he heard his brother answer.

"Yes and you might want to come by the house. Whatever happened this morning really has her down."

"I'm on my way."

Charlie came back outside with a smile. "Don told me that you asked him to accompany you to the banquet next week."

"Yeah, I figured he owed me big time for working with his witness. Besides, how many boring dinners have you sat through? Whatever the number, it's too many. Don's due." She actually laughed. "You aren't upset are you?"

"Me? Uh, no, of course not." He smiled a half smile in an attempt to hide the fact that he was a little disappointed, though he couldn't figure out why. "I have been to enough of my own."

"Hey there." Charlotte smiled when she saw Don walk outside a few minutes later. "How's Danny?"

"He's with Children's Services. They located his grandmother and she's flying in. Are you OK? Charlie seemed a little worried about you."

She looked over at her friend with a smile. "Thank you, to both of you, but I'm fine, really. It's just been awhile since I've treated a 'regular' child. I admire the way both of you can work these cases day in and day out."

Charlie took his cue and stood up. "I'll let you two talk."

"Wait." Charlotte hugged him. "Thank you."

"No problem." He smiled and walked back inside.

"So, Danny's in good hands?" She got back to business. "He's a tough kid, but I don't think he can handle too much more."

Don took her hands in his. "Charlie, he's fine. I know the caseworker he's with and I told her that he couldn't be placed in a group home, that he needed one on one care, and I was on the other end of a cell phone if he needed me. I'm more worried about you. This morning seemed to take a lot out of you."

She shook her head as she felt the tears just behind her eyes. "No, it's just been awhile, that's all. I wasn't prepared for everything that little boy had been through." She stood up and turned towards the setting sun. "I'm more amazed at how you and Charlie handle working these cases." She quickly wiped her face as the tears silently fell. "How do you cope? Does it ever get easier?"

He went to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, it doesn't get any easier when a child is involved. The only thing that helps is when we put the bad guy behind bars."

"So, did you get the guy who did this?"

"About twenty minutes ago, right before I called Charlie." He felt her hitch slightly and he turned her around. "Come here." Pulling her against his chest, he held her while she cried.

Charlie watched from the window as his friend clutched his brother, her face buried in his neck, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness. Yes, he was strangely upset that she hadn't chosen him, but Don deserved a good woman like Charlotte and Charlotte deserved to be happy. If her happiness meant that she wasn't with him, then that didn't seem to bother him anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey Charlie." Don smiled later that night as he enjoyed a beer out back. "Thanks for telling me about Charlotte."

"No, no problem. She seemed upset about something she was working with you on and you called me, so," He sat down and handed his brother what he'd spent the last hour working on. "It's a list of what to expect at a university fundraiser banquet, what can be talked about, and what can't be. It should get you through next week."

"Thanks, Bro."

"You're welcome. I've been to a couple hundred and know kinda what to expect." He smiled as he saw the shocked look on his brother's face.

"So you're not upset?"

"Why would I be upset? Believe me, those things are so boring."

"Charlie," Don looked over at him, "I know you and Charlie are close."

"Yes, but it's not in the way you think. Really, it's fine." He smiled a half-smile.

Friday night found Charlotte rehearsing her speech while she put on her makeup and curled her hair as the doorbell rang. "Don, it's open." But when she walked out to quickly greet him, she saw Charlie standing in her living room. "Oh, Hi. I'm sorry. I was expecting Don."

"I know." Charlie smiled. "He's running a few minutes late, but I was invited to attend by the university and thought I'd like to see you in action." He smiled again as she did. "That and I thought you could use a friend."

"You are a godsend, Charles Eppes. Could you come with me and listen to my speech while I continue to get ready?" He nodded. "Thank you because I am seriously freaking out."

He laughed slightly. "Charlotte, you need to breathe. Just take a deep breath. It's just a speech."

"Yeah, in front of a few hundred people at a prestigious university." She sighed. "Who'd believe that a shrink would have stage fright?"

"Breathe, Charlie. What I do is usually just talk to one person in the audience who I am comfortable with and let the others fade away. Just talk to me, or to Don."

The way he said his last statement pushed her into her professional mode. It didn't sound like he was coping very well with her going with Don and not with him and she didn't want that. "Charlie, if you want me to call Don and tell him not to come because you're here, I will."

He shook his head. "No, Charlie. I'm fine. It's just going to take some getting used to that you're dating my brother." He smiled a half-smile again.

"I'm not dating him, Hon. I only asked him to come with me because I didn't think you really wanted to go."

"Charlie, you may be the only one who doesn't see the way you two look at each other and the fact that you seem to be spending a lot of time together." He laughed. "I may not be a ladies man, but I know enough to tell you that this is a date. So, you get up at the podium and blow him away. Blow all of them away." He smiled fully and kissed her cheek. "Now, hit me with your speech."

Ten minutes later, Don rushed into the now familiar apartment and found a vision of beauty like he had never seen before. Charlotte was dressed in a spectacular dark red dress that was both elegant and revealing. The thin straps held it on her shoulders, the material not truly beginning until it clung to her ample cleavage without showing anything. She was completely covered, yet the way her neck and skin shone was blinding. The bodice then hung down, working its way around every curve of her shapely figure until it ended just below her ankles. Her long brown hair was a mass of curls that seemed to float down her back, acting as a natural shawl, and her makeup was done so perfectly it made her look even more stunning. That, though, was not what made him do a double take. "Charlie, what are you doing here?"

"I saw that you were running late when I left The Bureau and I was invited by the head of my department so I thought I'd stop by and see if Charlotte needed anything."

"And I'm glad he did. I probably would have jumped out the window if he hadn't shown up when he did." Charlotte smiled and lightly kissed Don's cheek, whispering in his ear. "Don't worry, I'm with you." She linked her arm in the handsome, muscular, and tux clad Eppes brother. "Shall we go?"

"It's not really good when the guest of honor is late." Charlie laughed as he stood up. "I know that from experience."

That night, Charlotte was amazed by how at ease she felt on the arm of Don Eppes. His strength, his confidence, it seemed to exude out of every pore and she was even more impressed with him. He may not have had the same IQ as his brother, but he was intelligent on so many levels and he looked so good in his tux. She actually found herself feeling like Cinderella, since during all her pilgrimages to 'Eppes Land' when she was growing up he hadn't seen her as more than Charlie's friend. This was her ball, her moment to hold his attention, and, as Charlie had said, knock him dead.

Don sat back in awe as he watched Charlotte in her element up at the podium. She radiated poise, grace, and intellect as she spoke on the subject to which she had devoted her life. Her knowledge flowed over the audience like waves from the ocean and every once in a while she would look at him and her smile would widen before she returned to her presentation. "Is she always this animated and engaging?" He turned to his brother with a whisper.

"You should see her give a class." Charlie smiled as he watched his brother gape openly at his friend.

"You were amazing." Don was saying as he walked her back to her apartment across campus. "I was so engrossed and impressed at the way you were able to hold the attention of the audience."

She laughed. "Do you need a translation on anything?"

"I was able to follow most of it. What I would like to know is what your specialties are."

"I have my masters in child psychology, my doctorate in family psychology, and I am board certified in both psychiatry and neurology." She laughed again as he groaned and rolled his eyes. "What can I say? I'm a very brainy person."

Again, he groaned, but then laughed as he put his arms around her shoulders, only to feel just why she was holding onto his arm so tight. "You're freezing." Removing his suit jacket, he helped her into it. "Better?"

"Yes, thanks."

"Why didn't you say something? I would have had Charlie drive you back."

"Because we're almost at my apartment and I didn't think that a chilly night existed in L.A."

He laughed again. "Charlie, it is still fall. Even in Los Angeles, it's going to get cold."

"Cold? You have very thin blood. You should come to my place in Colorado during the winter. Then you'll know cold." She laughed and he looked at her questioningly. "I was just remembering the first time Charlie came out to see me. It was during winter break from Cal Sci a few years ago, right around when I first purchased my house. He would barely go outside he was so cold and when he would, he was bundled up so much he could barely move." They shared a laugh. "Since then, whenever he's come to visit it's been during the summer."

Walking her up to her apartment, they paused just outside her door, and he was going to say something, maybe tell her how much he enjoyed spending time with her, how he'd enjoyed the night more than he thought he was going to, but I couldn't think of any words, only an undeniable desire to kiss her. Before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips to hers as she pushed back against him. His head was spinning and he pulled away, however reluctantly, just to control what he was feeling, but she met his lips again, her arms wrapping around his neck. He pulled her closer, his arms encircling her waist, but the moment was quickly interrupted by the sound of his cell phone. "Damn, I'm sorry." He pecked her lips once more before answering the offending electronic device.

"Duty calls?" She smiled as she lightly kissed him again once he hung up.

"Yeah." Kissing her one last time, he smiled. "I'll call you later."

"I'll be around."


	5. Chapter 5

It was another week before Don found himself able to make good on his promise of taking her out on a proper date, and not to a Laundromat, Charlotte had informed him with a playfully scolding tone. Apparently, Charlie had warned her about him and he couldn't help but laugh along with her. There was something about Charlotte Stegmann, something he couldn't explain, and something that he had apparently missed for the better part of twenty years.

A week after their first date, they lay entangled in the sheets of her bed and Charlotte took the rare opportunity of having him all to herself, at least for a little while, to talk to him about something that had come up the week before. "Donny," she kissed his exposed chest as she placed her chin against it, "about next week…"

His breath was still ragged from what had just transpired, but he tried to concentrate on what she was saying with a smile. "What's next week?"

"Thanksgiving." Moving up, she kissed his warm lips. "And your father has asked me to join the Eppes family for Thanksgiving dinner rather than me flying back to Colorado for the weekend. I accepted, but I don't know how you want to handle this."

"Handle what?" He kissed her again. "You mean us? I think both Charlie and my father know we're dating."

"Yeah, but both of them have asked me to spend the weekend at the house. I really don't think they know how extensively we've been seeing each other."

"I think we can behave ourselves for a few days." He grinned as she laughed and he rolled her onto her back, kissing her once more. "At least I think we can, I'm not quite sure."

The next week, on the night before Thanksgiving, Charlotte lay in a familiar bed under a familiar roof, but couldn't seem to fall asleep. There was a feeling she was experiencing that she had never felt before. It was almost a need, a need for the man who was in the bedroom two doors down from her. For the past two weeks, it was rare that she spent the night alone, even if Don came in late, he would still lie down and hold her for a few hours. She felt safe, she felt protected, she felt something she had never felt before, and she had a mind to call it love, but she didn't because she didn't know what real love felt like. "Don?" She whispered as she silently crept down the hall to his bedroom.

"Hmm? Charlie? What's wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep." She said sheepishly. "You mind if I join you?"

"No, not at all." Sliding over, he made room for her and gladly took her into his arms before falling asleep again. He'd gotten used to having her in his arms at night and he slept better with her next to him. He liked knowing that she was safe and warm curled up in his embrace; it was almost as though he were falling in love with her after only three weeks.

"Hey, Don, have you seen Charlie?" Charlie asked that morning as they prepared breakfast. "She's not in her room."

"Yeah, that's because she's in mine." He stammered slightly, feeling like he was back in high school again.

"Oh. Umm, OK. I'll go get her."

"No, I'll do it." Don pushed by his brother.

"Don, you and she didn't…"

"No. Believe me, we didn't. She couldn't sleep last night so she came into see me, that's all. Trust me nothing is going to happen in that bed. It's just too weird."

Charlie laughed. "Yeah, I know."

After dinner, Charlotte watched from the house as Don and Charlie played basketball, all the while laughing and joking. "Quite a difference from the last time you observed them, isn't it?" Alan came up beside her and smiled.

"I'd say."

"You should go out and play with them. I'm sure Don would let you win."

She laughed. "I'm sure he would, but I'm more than happy to watch from a distance. It's great to see them actually getting along now. I may just have to write a follow up to my thesis."

"That's one way to spend more time here." Alan smirked. "You know, you don't have to make up an excuse. The door is always open and I don't think that either of my sons would ever turn you away."

"Thank you."

Alan just nodded. "So, the semester is just about over but we haven't heard where you're off to next."

"Because I was asked to teach an accelerated winter semester course for psych majors. I'll be here until the end of the year."

"I thought you didn't like to teach."

Charlotte laughed again at the smirk on Alan's face. "This is sounding an awful like a 'what are your intentions with my son' discussion."

"No, I'm more worried about you." His smile faded. "Charlie, I love you like a daughter and I was ecstatic to hear that you and Don were dating, but he's a workaholic and you're the same way with the way that you flit all over the country during the school year. I don't want you getting hurt."

She hugged her surrogate father. "I thank you, but I knew what I was getting myself into when Don first asked me out. Don't worry. I think we both went into this with our eyes wide open."

"I just want to see you around for longer than through the end of the year."

"How about giving me one of those?" Don smiled as he walked back inside.

"Not until you take a shower, Secret Agent Man." He quickly kissed her as she playfully smacked his arm.

"Does he know you're staying on?" Charlie asked as he watched his brother disappear upstairs.

"Yes. I called him right before I called you."

"That would be why he's so happy." He smirked and headed upstairs.

"Does this marriage obsession run in the family?" She looked up at Alan who just smiled and walked away.

Two weeks later, Don sat in the back of a lecture hall and just watched as Charlotte kept all fifty students engrossed in the subject matter she was covering and how she seemed to be in her element. Charlie had been right. She looked good in front of a class. She was so animated, so articulate, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. Her long hair was braided and hung down the back of her cream colored silk blouse until it touched the waist of her black slacks. He was sure she wasn't going for radiant, but she achieved it. "You know, you're quite good at that."

"Thank you, Agent Eppes." Charlotte smiled when she saw him walking down the aisle towards her. "What brings you to UCLA today?"

"You." He leaned against the table. "Charlie told me that I should see you teach a class, that you have it down to a science, and he was right."

"Did he also tell you that I hate it?"

"He mentioned something like that, but after seeing you tonight, I don't know why."

"Because this isn't what I was trained to do. I'm a clinician. I love seeing patients, delving deep into psychoses. Not standing up in front a room full of people and explaining the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath."

"That's not what I saw tonight."

"Because they allowed me to teach this as an elective lecture on the family dynamic." She smiled. "This is my area of expertise thanks to you and your brother." She linked her arm with his as they walked out. "I'm thinking of writing a follow up to my thesis, but I realize that I can't."

"Why not? I'm sure I'll be much more cooperative this time."

She laughed. "That's just it. I can't write it because I'm dating one of the subjects. I can't be objective and you won't give me a straight answer."

"Oh, that hurt, Charlie." He feigned a stab to the heart.

"You want me to kiss it better?"

"Yes." He kissed her passionately before helping her into his SUV.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next three weeks seemed to fly and Charlotte found herself spending as much time as she could with Don. When they weren't together, she found herself praying he was safe and she finally admitted to herself that she was in love with Don Eppes. It was a realization that came with fear. How something that, by nature, could never work was actually going to be made into something that could be sustainable, plagued her. Theirs was a relationship that was doomed to failure. Don rarely put her ahead of his career and she couldn't keep stalling going back to her career once the winter semester ended. It was only supposed to be something that was enjoyable, comforting, and short-lived, like all of her other flings. She wasn't looking for anything long term and neither was Don, that's why they worked so well together, but somewhere along the way, she had allowed her heart to feel things that she never knew actually existed. There was only one thing left to do in her mind, and she was more than happy to do it.

"You know, the house across the street is for sale." Alan brought up in conversation one Saturday during dinner.

"I saw that." Charlie knew what was coming next and he beat his father to the reveal. "Are you thinking of putting a bid on it?"

"I did already. Actually, I've put several bids on it. There is someone who either wants to see me part with my money or is really interested."

Charlotte dropped her fork in shock. "Alan, I am so sorry. I think the person you are bidding against is me."

It was the men's turn to drop their utensils. "You, Charlie, you're moving to L.A.?" Alan stared at her.

Don began coughing. "You never told me about this."

"Because it was supposed to be a surprise, Donny." She smiled softly. "I was going to tell you once the house went to contract, which it hasn't yet, apparently because your father is constantly outbidding me." She squeezed Alan's hand. "If you want the place, Alan, I will back off."

"No, Charlie, I can honestly say that I don't mind losing to you." There was no doubt how happy she made Don and to see her stay would make him even happier. "So, you have a long term assignment?"

"It's more permanent than an assignment, but I haven't signed the final contract on that yet either, so that's all I'm going to say."

"That's really great, Charlie, really great."

After dinner, Charlotte found her love out in the backyard nursing a beer, his back to her. "Donny, I never meant for you to find out like this. I wanted this to be your present, but there was a glitch in the plans. I'm so sorry. I understand if you're upset."

"Babe, I'm not upset." He turned to face her. "I'm just in shock. You never even hinted about this."

It was her turn to turn away. "You're shocked now, just wait." She took a deep breath. "I didn't want to say anything at the table because I wanted to talk to you first, but I've been offered a position working for the FBI out of the Los Angeles office." Even in the dark, she could see the astonishment on his face. "I guess this is where I ask about the future of our relationship." She laughed sardonically. "Look, I will completely understand if…"

He crossed the distance between them in two strides and kissed her deeply before she could finish. "I want you to stay."

"Don…"

"I want you to stay, Charlie." He smiled and kissed her again.

"OK." She actually smiled as they kissed once more.

"Can you tell me about what you're going to be doing or is that top secret?" He asked when they arrived back at her apartment.

"I think you have clearance, Secret Agent Man." She curled up next to him on the couch. "To put it simply, the FBI, as with most workforces, but law enforcement in particular, has a family dynamic. I am working on designing an initiative that would allow the agents freedom to talk to me without the stigma of having it noted that you went to see a therapist. Hopefully, it can strengthen bonds not only between agents, but also in an agent's home life. Statistically speaking, there are more divorces and legal separations in law enforcement than in any other career path. I think it's time that we stop chalking it up to 'the job' and giving agents the tools to handle personal and professional relationships."

"That sounds great, Babe, but how are you going to keep the sessions confidential? Every time we walk by the shrink's office, it's noted in our file."

"It's really simple. I only charge the FBI for my time. The only thing they know is the number of agents who came to see me, not the specific individuals. It took the powers that be a little while to warm up to that, but once I reminded them that they approached me and it wasn't the other way around, they saw that I was right." Looking up at him, she kissed him. "You, my dear, are actually the only agent who is forbidden from coming to see me in a professional capacity."

"And I wanted to be the first agent through the door. You know, lead my team by example." He smirked and kissed her.

"I know you did, but our personal relationship makes a professional relationship out of the question. Sorry, Baby, but those are the rules in my chosen career."

"Pesky things, those codes of ethics are."

"Don," Charlotte spoke after a few minutes, "I know this all came as quite a shock and I'm sorry about that. I honestly wanted to tell you a hundred times, but I either wasn't allowed to, or I couldn't find the right words. I don't know where this is going. I do know that I never want to hurt you and I certainly don't want you to feel trapped or obligated to stay just because I'm here in L.A. for longer than six months."

"Charlotte, I love you and I could never feel trapped by you, ever. I never felt obligated to spend time with you even before we were seeing each other, so I stand by what I said before, I want you to stay."

"I love you too, Secret Agent Man." She looked up at him and smiled before he kissed her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Walking into the familiar house, Don noticed that it felt eerily empty. It was six o'clock on a Friday night. Normally, Charlotte was whipping up something for dinner and greeting him with a smile for actually joining her. It was amazing what he had found himself doing for the past few months. His chosen profession was still his top priority, but he was learning to make room at the top of the list for his relationship with Charlotte. To find the house empty at this time of night was strange, but when he found the notebook open on the dining room table along with all of her financial documents and the blueprints to her house in Colorado, he suddenly knew why she'd been preoccupied for the last few weeks and why the house was empty on a Friday night. There was only one place she could be and he jogged across the street to the house he grew up in. "Hey Babe." He said quietly as he walked into the garage.

The sound of his voice pulled her from her thoughts and she checked her watch as she quickly wiped away her tears. "Don, oh my. I am so sorry. I got caught up with something. I can have dinner on the table in no time."

He caught her shoulders as she tried to jet past him. "We can always order in." She looked away suddenly as she shook her head. "It is Friday night. Let me buy dinner for my girl." She finally nodded and he held her. It was rare for her to get overly emotional about anything. It was even stranger for her to withhold her emotions. There was only one explanation for her to be so emotional and yet so reserved. She was trying to protect him from something. He'd watch her do it with his brother on numerous occasions, but never with him. He figured he was due. "What are you and Charlie working on?" He asked over dinner.

"Nothing important, he was just helping me crunch a few numbers."

"Babe, you haven't let go of my hand for longer than a few seconds since we left my brother's house where I found you crying after I walked in to an empty house to find the blueprints to your house in Colorado lying open on the table. You've got to give me a little more credit than that. I don't buy that it's nothing. Math has never made you cry before."

"There was more than just the blueprints open on the table."

"And that was personal stuff that I didn't look at. My only concern was you." It wasn't completely true. He'd glanced at her notebook where he'd seen his name written in the 'pro' column of a pro versus con chart of some sort, but he didn't think that moment was the right time to tell her that he'd seen that.

"OK, now you have to give me a little more credit." She actually found herself smirking slightly as she looked into his eyes for the first time that night. "You are a highly trained investigator and I am almost certain that you at least looked at the open pages of the books that were open."

"So what if I did, Charlie. You're still evading my question. What were you and Charlie working on that had you so upset?"

She took a deep breath. "Charlie's reworking the math that my accountant gave me last week because I wanted a second opinion. I am burning through my savings faster than I anticipated due to the fact that apparently no one ever got rich working for the FBI and I am trying to save my house in Colorado while maintaining a residence here in L.A."

"You're thinking of going back on the road?" His heart sank and he suddenly lost his appetite.

"No, I'm trying to not be forced into selling my house in Colorado." Charlotte shook her head and sighed as she leaned back in her chair. He deserved the truth, though she didn't want to have to tell him. "Baby, I saved and invested very well while I was working for myself. I bought the lot in Silverthorne so I could build the house I always wanted. It took me three months just to find the right architect and another three before I met a contactor I actually felt comfortable with leaving alone to build the design without me being on site. That house was my escape, my serenity after being on the road for three to six months at a time. I love that place, but I love it here in L.A. I finally found a place to call home with friends I could actually call family. So, I bought this place. I can handle the mortgage just fine on what I'm making, but when you tack on the utilities, taxes, and repair costs, it's just depleting what I worked so hard to put away. The only way I could stop the hemorrhage is to sell my place in Colorado, but I can't bring myself to do it."

"And you shouldn't have to." Don moved closer to her. "Charlie, why didn't you say something before now? This is actually something I can help you with." The confusion spread across her face. "My suggestion to you is that you should rent out a room."

There was a sparkle in his eye, so she knew he was up to something, but her head was in such a fog, she couldn't quite catch on. "Who am I renting this room to?"

"Me." The laugh that echoed through the dining room was the laugh that he'd come to love. It was rich, honest, and made her eyes light up. "I have the FBI seal of approval."

"I can't get a better recommendation than that, Baby."

He grinned. "Babe, it makes sense. I mean I'm over here half the time anyway and this way you can keep your dream home."

"You know something. It's just so crazy it might just work." It was a big step moving in together, but she needed the help, he needed to get out of that hole in the wall he paid way too much for, and she was tired of trying to find a rational solution. It was time for the unconventional, spontaneous, and what felt right. Standing up, she went to him and straddled his lap before leaning down and kissing him. "Thank you. I know it sounds so silly to be so worked up over an inanimate object, but I love that place."

"You are very welcome and you are not being silly. I've seen you being silly, Doc. This is not you being silly."

"Hey Charlie, I think I came up with a solution…Oh my. I am so sorry." Charlie quickly turned around after walking into the dining room to find his brother making out with his friend. "I'm just going to leave the notebook on the table here and I'll be going."

"Charlie," Charlotte walked over to him with a smile, "you don't have to leave. Your brother and I were actually just discussing my predicament."

"That was actually, um, not a, um, discussion, Charlie. I don't know if you are aware, but a discussion usually involves words."

She laughed. "OK, we were just finishing a discussion about my predicament and I was about to call you. Thank you for your figures, but Don helped me find a solution."

"Yeah, and it didn't involve numbers, Bro." Don joked as he stood up.

"Everything is numbers." Charlie gave his standard answer.

"Not this time. My solution was just to become your new neighbor."

Charlie looked at his brother dumbfounded. He had been poised to give his standard argument, but was taken aback by what Don had said. "Wait a minute. You're buying the house from her?"

"No, Charlie, I'm moving in. You're looking at Charlotte's new tenant."

"That's fantastic! Then I guess you don't need this then." He held up his notebook.

"No, you can leave that. I may need it later when I come to my senses." Charlotte grinned over at her lover, best friend, and new tenant.

"Oh, this is not a good way to start off." Don smirked.

"OK, I, um, I'm going to go." Charlie quickly made his way back to the front door still smiling.

"That's it. I'm moving into the master bedroom." Don didn't even notice his brother leaving as he moved closer to Charlotte.

"Let's explore just why that goal is unachievable, shall we?" She laughed.

"You think so." He pinned her against the wall. "I am a highly trained professional. I can get anyone to admit to anything."

"I'd be interested in seeing those so-called powers of persuasion, Agent Eppes."

He kissed her deeply. "How was that?"

"Less questions, more persuasion." She was breathless and kissed him again only pulling away when she heard the phone in her office ringing. "Damn." They kissed once more before she ran to the solarium and closed the door.

"Damn is right, Babe." Don leaned against the wall and caught his breath, cursing when his cell phone rang. When it rained it poured. "Eppes." There was a new case; of course there was a new case. "I'm on my way." He hung up as Charlotte walked back into the room and kissed him. "Babe, I've got to go."

"OK. Rain check?"

He kissed her again. "I'll be by to collect."

"You better be, Eppes." She called after him before she laughed. It had to be why they worked so well together. Neither one of them was willing to completely give up their careers being their top priority, but they were willing to allow room at the top.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After a few months in the same house, Charlotte had set some ground rules. One of which was that she wanted Don home with her at least an hour every night and one Friday night a month. It wasn't too much to ask for given that their relationship was becoming more comfortable and they were growing closer each day, so it had been no surprise when he hadn't had any objections. They were in their home for almost six months when she saw Don walk in with a pizza box on a Wednesday night. "How did I know you were going to pick tonight to be home early?"

"If you're complaining I can always take this pie and head across the street." Don grinned as he flopped down on the couch next to her.

"Did I say I was complaining?"

"No, but it sounds like you're afraid I'm going to gloat too much when the Dodgers beat your Rockies, which I promise you I won't."

She feigned disgust. "Your Dodgers don't stand a chance against my Rockies. They're playing at Coors Field. The air is much to clean."

"Care to make a wager?"

"Sure. If I win, you have to take a week off and come with me to my house in Colorado."

"And if I win, you have to come with me to a Dodgers game and wear the full game gear."

"You're on." She extended her hand, but instead he leaned forward and kissed her. "That was deadly, Eppes. You must really think you are going to win."

He laughed as she settled herself against him. "I have history on my side. The last time we watched the game together the Dodgers won and I had you in my arms by the end of the night."

"Only one thing wrong, I'm in your arms at the start of the night, so history is not repeating itself."

"You would have hit me if I had made a move on you then."

"No, I probably would have kissed you, but you will never know because you didn't even try."

"I was just biding my time and being a gentleman."

"That may be true, but you didn't have to."

"Now you tell me." She laughed as he kissed her, pushing her down onto the couch, her long nimble fingers making tracks in his hair before she began unbuttoning his shirt.

Two days later, Charlotte came down from her last client of the day and found two airline tickets on the table in the foyer. She smiled and walked into the kitchen where she found the love of her life. "Good to know you didn't squelch on your bet."

"I never do. I lost fair and square. Besides, I sealed it with a kiss. I couldn't get out of it even if I wanted to."

"I would have thought about it if you had asked nicely."

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What would you have considered nicely?"

"You may never know because you already bought the tickets." She laughed and kissed him. "Mmm," she kissed him again, "I know it's Friday and we usually spend Friday night in, but your father stopped over this afternoon and asked that we join him for dinner."

"Does he have another date he's worried about?"

"No, apparently there's an old friend of yours who's in town for the weekend and your father invited them over for dinner."

"Then I guess we're going over for dinner." Kissing her once more, he pulled away and took her hand.

There was certainly an old friend, an old female friend, an ex-girlfriend, of Don's and Charlotte wanted to know why Alan had done that, but she, instead, put on her best smile, sat a little closer to her lover, and participated in the light conversation. Her feelings of jealousy and possessiveness actually began to scare her. Was there a trust issue that she hadn't dealt with? She knew Don's past, but he had never done anything to hurt her. She tried to work through her doubt, but when the group decided to play cards, she politely excused herself, and Don caught her on the front porch. "No, Baby, I've just got patient files to review. You stay. I'll be fine."

"Nah, come on, Charlie. If you want to go then we go."

"Don't be silly, Donny. This is not me playing the double talking woman here. She's your friend and if you want to stay and talk with her for a few more hours, then be my guest. You won't be in the doghouse. I promise."

He kissed her. "Babe, I want to be with you. Let me just say goodbye and we'll go home."

Silently, her heart soared that he would choose her over the ex-girlfriend, regardless of how well they were getting along. "OK, but please don't leave on my account. I do want you to stay and have a good time."

"Wait here."

As Don went back inside, Alan came out to the porch. "Look, Charlie, I'm sorry about this. I never meant for this to be awkward for you. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned anything."

"Stop it, Alan. She's Don's friend. You most certainly should have told him about it. I'm not upset." She hugged him as her lover reappeared. "Are you sure you want to leave?"

"I'm sure, Babe. Thanks for everything, Dad." He waved and they walked back to their house. "You wanted to leave because you were getting jealous, didn't you?" Don grinned as they got ready for bed.

"I really hope I wasn't that obvious. Was I that obvious?" Charlotte cringed as he laughed. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I thought it was rather sexy."

She rolled her eyes. "You thought it was sexy that I was damn near embarrassing myself?"

"You were not embarrassing yourself, Babe. You were marking your turf." He kissed her. "That will always be sexy."

"I never set out to do anything of the sort."

"That's why it was so nice to see. It was natural and it was surprisingly attractive. What would have been more attractive is if you two were to wrestle in a big tub of Jell-O over me." She finally laughed and smacked his exposed chest before he kissed her again. "Seriously, Charlie, you don't have anything to worry about. Diane and I were over a very long time ago. I'm with you now."

Kissing him, she smiled. "But if you ever want to stray, if you ever feel trapped, all I ask is that you tell me. It's not being unfaithful if you tell me the truth. OK?"

A shocked look came over his face. "Are you saying you want me to see other women?"

"Not in the least. What I'm saying is if you suddenly feel like you're trapped, that you're being suffocated, or that you want to sample something new, I don't want you to feel that you have to hide it from me. I want our relationship to be honest. That's all I ask. Please, never lie to me. If you feel you need to protect me from something, then just don't bring it up or tell me that you don't want to tell me. Never lie because I will never lie to you. OK?"

"I think I can do that." Kissing her again, they fell together onto the bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Charlotte smiled as she walked into FBI Headquarters and placed the plain brown bag on the familiar desk. Every Wednesday she took the morning for herself, went to her therapist, and stopped by the FBI to deliver her invoice, once a month meeting with the directors to give a status report on her program. On those days, she would stop by Don's desk and leave him breakfast and coffee before heading to the upper floors. They didn't flaunt their relationship, couldn't flaunt their relationship, because of the nature of her career, but she could still let him know that she still cared about him.

"Just for you, just because ILY, C2." Don smiled as he read her note. It always said the same thing, and the breakfast was always from his favorite greasy spoon, but it always made him smile. It was the little things that she did that he never expected that made him the happiest. Just the simple act of her dropping off his favorite meal on her way to her meeting caused him to smile through most of the day, though he would never tell anyone why.

"Who's C-Two?" A female voice came from behind him.

"What?" He tried to cover the fact that she had caught him off guard.

"Your note. Who's C-Two?" Agent Meghan Reeves smiled as she leaned against the opposite desk. "Is she your new girlfriend? I've noticed the breakfasts, the leaving on time every Friday, there has to be someone outside of here to bring on that behavior."

"She's not new, but I really can't talk about it."

"You need someone to get your mind off of what we do, Don. I'm glad you found someone."

"Yeah, well," he looked at his watch, "I'd really just like to find this murderer."

"OK." She laughed. "Colby and David are running down the mother."

"Her name's Charlie." He spoke softly. "That's why it's C-Two."

"Wait, Charlie Stegmann?"

"Yeah, you know her?"

"I've met her. She's my therapist."

"Damn, look, she doesn't talk to me about anything work related. This is why we've kept everything quiet."

"Don't worry. I have faith that she's not talking about our sessions. It's why her program works." Meghan smiled. "She's a good woman and she'll be good for you."

The muscular brown-haired FBI agent rang the doorbell of the Craftsman style house Wednesday afternoon with trepidation. He'd heard good things about the shrink he was about to see from Meghan, but he still wasn't sure he actually wanted to see one. It certainly didn't look like a shrink's office, so maybe she wasn't the typical shrink. "Hi, I'm Special Agent Colby Granger." He introduced himself to the stunning woman who answered the door.

"That's a very long name. How did they fit that onto your driver's license?" Charlotte smiled as she shook his hand and walked him up to the solarium.

"It's just Colby."

He had a nice laugh, she thought to herself as she laughed with him. "I'm Charlotte, but you can call me Charlie, Colby." She sat down in her chair and gestured to the couch opposite her. "There are just three ground rules. The first, your cell phone must be turned off for the duration of the session. This is your time, not your boss'. The second is that you drop the 'Special Agent' stuff. While impressive, that achievement doesn't define your identity. And the third is that change isn't going to happen overnight. I request three sessions before you make up your mind whether I am a quack or not."

"I think I can live with those rules." He smiled. "So, how does this work?"

"It works the way you want it to." She smiled and leaned back, crossing her legs, and watched as his eyes followed her movements. He was going to be a challenge to keep his mind on his therapy.

Four months later, Colby sat on the same couch, only this time he held her hand. They'd become close, friendly, during their sessions and he silently envied the man who she went home to every night. The therapy had worked, eased his mind, helped him cope with what he saw everyday, but he was finding himself going to their sessions just to spend time with her. "I know our time is almost up, but I wanted to say something to you, Charlotte." He gently stroked the soft supple skin of her hands with his thumbs, enjoying how she smiled as he did. "I just wanted to say," he'd been rehearsing how he was going to tell her how he felt, but as he held her hands, saw the professional look in her deep blue eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say the words. So instead, he simply said, "thank you."

"There's no need to thank me, Colby. You did all the hard work." She smiled and stood up, walking to her desk before she could see the longing in his eyes again. There were transference issues they were going to have to address, but she wanted to see if it wasn't just because he had had an emotional session. There was no reason to jeopardize the trust and relationship they had built if it wasn't needed. "As you know, I am off next week, but we will pick up the Wednesday after next. OK?"

"Yeah, OK."

"Colby, I'll be back. It's just a vacation. You'll be fine. And if you need me, I'll have my cell phone."

"No, I know." He shook his head as he laughed. "Where are you going?"

"My boyfriend and I are going to my house in Colorado for the week. I don't think anyone told him that April in the Rockies can be just as cold as January, but it still should be nice."

Her laugh was beautiful, melodic, and he smiled. "He's a lucky man no matter which state you're in." Kissing her cheek, he left, but vowed not to give up that easily.

That night, Don smiled as he lay back in their bed. Charlotte had been preoccupied all night and he was finally able to play shrink with her the way she did with him when he got that way. "Talk to me, Beautiful. What's going on inside that pretty little head of yours?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, I have patient who concerns me. There are some underlying transference issues that came to the surface today in session."

"Transference issues, huh? A really fancy technical term meaning that you have made another man fall in love with you. That doesn't concern me in the least, Babe. It happens with every guy you spend more than five minutes with."

She shook her head with a smile. "While I wish I could believe that, there is a tad bit more to it."

"Let me ask you something. Does it mean that we can't go to Colorado on Friday?"

"Not at all, Baby. You are not getting out of our bet that easily."

"Good, then lay back and let's go to sleep." He took her into his arms, not even caring that the patient she was worrying about would have his back the next day.


	10. Chapter 10

Friday afternoon, Charlotte watched Don smile as they drove up to the house she hadn't seen in over a year. The caretaker had done a great job with the landscaping and upkeep and it was a beautiful sight with the mountains visible over the trees as they pulled the rental car to the top of the mile long driveway. Stepping out, she took a deep breath, and the clean air felt good as it entered her lungs. While she loved their place in Los Angeles, Colorado had always felt like home to her. "Welcome home."

"Quite a home." He remarked as he scanned the area. "How many acres is this?"

"Twenty-four and it backs onto a protected preserve so there isn't another soul for miles."

"So we are going to be all alone for an entire week." Pulling her to him, he smiled. "I think I can handle that." He kissed her as she laughed.

"Shall we go in and I'll give you the grand tour?"

"That sounds like an idea since it is a little chilly out here."

She laughed as she grabbed her bags. "I should have warned you that springtime in the mountains can get to be just as cold as winter."

"I've know of the perfect way to stay warm."

"Ah, curled up by the fire with a nice warm cup of cocoa."

"Not exactly what I had in mind." He said as he dropped the bags in the foyer, pulling her back into his arms, and kissing her hard as he pinned her against the solid mahogany door. She kissed him back, pulling his shirt free from his jeans, and sliding her slightly chilled hands up his back, causing him to gasp, but he smiled. Caressing her neck as she jumped up, her long sculpted legs encircling his waist perfectly. He pulled her shirt over her head, kissing a line to her ample cleavage, listening to her moan as he greedily caressed her beautiful breasts. Placing her on her feet, his lips finding hers once more, they each fumbled with the other's jeans, lust and passion leading to impatience.

As their clothes met their suitcases on the floor, Charlotte actually felt something she'd never felt, like she belonged. She fit with Don, not just in body, but in spirit. All of her intellect and renown could never bring the sense of belonging that she felt as Don established their rhythm. Even with their untamed desire overtaking them, they worked, they became one more completely than she had ever experienced with anyone else, lover or not. She and Don were synched, linked, and it created a sensation, a warmth, that she had never known.

That night, as they relaxed by the fireplace in the master suite, Don gently traced his finger down the side of her face, kissing her softly, enjoying how her eyes sparkled in the soft glow from the fire. Their day had been spent relaxing, exploring her house, her property, and each other. For the first time in awhile, work wasn't constantly on his mind. No, the only thoughts that filled his head were the same thoughts that were always in his heart, Charlotte. "Baby, I was going to wait to ask you this, but I can't think of a better time.

"Ask me what?" She smiled up at him.

"Will you marry me?" There was a look of shock on her face as she sat up and stared at him. "We're so good together, Charlie, and I have never loved any woman the way that I love you. I don't have a ring, but,"

She silenced him with a kiss. "I don't need a ring. I just need you."

"Yeah?" He smiled a wide smile and she nodded before he kissed her again. "So, that's a yes?"

"I would be crazy to say no."

"Actually, I think you'd be crazy to say yes." He laughed.

The next day, as they hiked through the woods and up the mountain at the edge of her property, Charlotte never even noticed he was behind them, just a quarter mile back. Neither did Don for that matter. He was extra cautious swearing that Don was going to be able to sense his presence, but neither of them did. Too wrapped up in one another and it almost made him sick. What did she see in Don Eppes? Did she know his history with women? Don was going to end up breaking her heart, but then he'd be there to pick up the pieces. He just had to bide his time. That was the hard part, he thought to himself. He wanted her, badly. She was the total package, great legs, a superior intelligence, and a smile that could light all of LA. He sighed quietly and kept watching.


	11. Chapter 11

Saturday afternoon, the taxi dropped Don and Charlotte back at their house. The Craftsman house and warm spring breeze felt good when Charlotte stepped out of the car. The long claw foot tub was calling her name. After their flight had been delayed two hours taking off from Denver due to a snow squall that was passing through, all she wanted to do was take a long hot soak before she had to jump back into her life. The week had been so relaxing. No client emergencies and no phone calls from Meghan or Colby or David saying that they needed Don. It was what she had wished for, a full week with the man of her dreams and nothing to do except what they wanted and on their schedule. It had been more than she could have ever dreamed.

"Hey, Babe," Don stuck his head into the bathroom a half hour after they arrived home, "I just got off the phone with my Dad. He's got steaks for the barbeque and he'd like the pleasure of our company." He knelt down and kissed her. "Are you feeling up to it?"

"I guess I could begin to share you again."

"You don't have to. I could call him back and tell him that we're jetlagged. It wouldn't exactly be a lie." He grinned and kissed her again.

"Knowing your father, that would just mean that he would relocate the party over here." She pulled the stopper out of the drain with her toe. "No, I'll rinse off and then we can go share the good news."

As he water drained, her beautiful feminine form became visible and he lightly caressed her damp skin. "God, you are so beautiful."

His hand drifted down her side, gliding over her hip, then her thigh. The feel of his skin against hers, combined with the look of lust in his clear brown eyes, was sending her over the edge and he was barely touching her. Sitting up, she kissed him with a hunger, a fire, which she had only come to know over the past week. Their time spent together alone in the mountains had awoken something in her that she didn't even know existed. It was more than an attraction, it was more than love, it was a connection, it was almost a magnetic draw that she had never felt before coursing through her body. "What time is your father expecting us?"

"We can be late."

"OK." She pulled his t-shirt over his head and he fumbled with his jeans before joining her in the tub.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her long nimble fingers lacing in his hair, pulling him closer. Her slick curvaceous body pressed against him, fitting against him, and her never ending legs parted, hanging over the side of the tub, inviting him to take her. Sliding into her depths, he heard her moan, and he kissed her with all the passion he had in him. Being with her, being alone with her, no cell service, no interruptions, had caused him to re-evaluate his priorities, and when he had, he found a need for her, a hunger that couldn't be explained or denied. He began to place her ahead of everything and everyone else and it felt good.

They moved together, creating a perfect rhythm, until she felt her body tightening, her breath coming in short bursts. She'd reached the edge of the cliff and was happily jumping into the abyss of pleasure. Her jaw clenched after she called out for him and the world went black.

The sensation of her contracting and shuddering around him was too great and he grunted as he plunged himself deep into her one last time before his body erupted in several pleasurable spasms. Attempting not to collapse against her as he caught his breath, he braced himself on the edge of the tub, kissing her before pulling away. "I'm going to grab a shower in the other bathroom and then I think we better go." He grinned and kissed her one last time.

"It's about time you two showed up." Alan looked up from his place in front of the grill and hid a smile when he watched his eldest son and his girlfriend walk outside. "We've been dying to hear about Colorado."

Don smirked. "It was really good. We caught a Rockies game and an Avalanche game, went hiking a few days, but we just generally relaxed after our first night there." Charlotte laughed. "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

"They are your family, Baby. Why don't you tell them?"

"I don't know. You tell the story a lot better."

"Someone just tell us what happened." Alan looked at them with a mixture of concern and annoyance.

Don laughed. "Dad, Charlie, I asked Charlotte to marry me."

"And I said yes." Charlotte laughed as the look of shock came over her future in-laws.

Amita was the first one to break the silence. "Congratulations! That's fantastic." She hugged both Charlotte and Don.

"Sister-in-law," Charlie mused over the title for a minute. "Yeah, I could get used to that." He smiled and hugged his friend. "Welcome to the family, Charlie."

"That's great. Congratulations!" Alan finally snapped back to life. "I'm finally going to have a daughter-in-law and, possibly, grandchildren."

"Alan," she hugged him.

"Dad," he corrected.

"Dad," she smiled and took his hands, "can I please have your promise that the grandchildren speech will come after the wedding? It's going to be stressful enough to keep up my practice, not worry about Don, and plan a wedding. I promise that you and I will sit down after the reception and you can tell me exactly how many grandkids you would like me to provide for you to spoil. OK?"

"OK." He kissed her cheek. "Where's the ring?"

"I don't need an engagement ring, just a wedding ring."

"Wait here. Don't move. Charlie," Alan turned to his youngest son, "make sure they don't move. I will be right back." He disappeared back into the house.

"What was that all about?" Don shook his head and laughed as he walked over to the grill and began seasoning the steaks.

"Wish I knew." Charlie answered and joined him.

"When did Don pop the question?" Amita asked.

"Last Friday night." Charlotte smiled and sat down. "We were relaxing by the fire in the master suite when he simply looked me in the eye and asked me to marry him."

"Just like that? Not down on one knee?"

"No, he did it his way and I don't need all that romantic staging. He spoke from the heart and that's what made it for me."

"Well, this time he's going to get down on one knee like a real gentleman, like his father taught him." Alan came back out of the house holding a black velvet ring case. "Donny, come here." Handing the case to his son, he placed his hand on his shoulder. "This was your mother's. I want you to give it to Charlotte."

"Alan, I can't accept that. That ring has sentimental value far beyond what even I know. Please, you keep it." Charlotte looked at him shocked.

"No, I want my son's fiancée to wear it and so would my wife. Go ahead, Don."

"Dad," Don came out of his daze, "are you sure?"

"It worked for your mother and I, it will work for you and Charlotte."

He watched from his Suburban as Special Agent Don Eppes proposed with his dead mother's ring and fought a wave of nausea. How could an intelligent woman like Dr. Charlotte Stegmann be so dumb as to get involved with a guy like Don Eppes? He never would have taken her for the sappy romantic type, but there she was accepting a marriage proposal from Don who was down on one knee. How could she have accepted? Don wasn't the right man for her. Don was married to his job and would never give her the status she deserved. He thought about calling her, about telling her what he thought about her new marital status, but when she kissed Eppes, he felt ill again. That was it. He'd seen enough. Putting the SUV into gear, he drove off. A phone call wasn't going to stop that. More drastic measures had to be taken. It was bad enough he'd listened to them at her house in Colorado for the past week. That was actually strangely pleasurable, causing him to take matters into his own hands back at his hotel, but he couldn't stand to watch her throw her life away with a guy like Don Eppes.

Don heard the car peeling out, but thought nothing of it. Probably just a kid joyriding, he thought to himself, and that was all he wanted to think. He was enjoying having Charlotte in his arms and not worrying about his cell phone ringing.


	12. Chapter 12

It was a bright and clear afternoon in Los Angeles when Don walked out of FBI headquarters and saw the beautiful woman sitting

It was a bright and clear afternoon in Los Angeles when Don walked out of FBI headquarters and saw the beautiful woman sitting on the bench on the footbridge of the building. The sun bouncing off her silky raven locks was almost blinding and suddenly the only thought in his head was how that spectacular, talented, intelligent woman was going to be his for the rest of their lives and he'd never been more confident in a decision in his life. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but I'm going to have to put you under arrest." He whispered in her ear as he came up behind her.

"Oh really? What would the charge be, Secret Agent Man?"

"Being much too beautiful. You are a traffic hazard."

She laughed as she stood up. "The same could be said about you, Baby."

He kissed her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, Beautiful, what brings you here?"

"Your suit for tonight."

"That's right. Your sister is coming in."

"Yes, she is, and I need you to wear a suit and tie because I can't have you looking all buff and FBI-ish. She'd snatch you away from me in a heartbeat." She laughed again as he kissed her. "Mmm, I have to get back home. I have a client in forty-five minutes."

"OK, I'll let you off with a warning this time, Ma'am, but please try to be more careful." Kissing her one last time, he took the garment bag from her. "Seven o'clock at Town Hall?"

"Seven o'clock at Town Hall." She pecked his lips and smiled. "Oh and just so you are aware,"

"You and your sister are twins. Yeah, I remember that much from when you and Charlie were at Princeton." He laughed.

He watched them through the scope of his rifle wanting so much to pull the trigger and send a bullet through Eppes' skull. Their lovey-dovey routine made him physically ill. A woman like Charlotte deserved better than a two-bit Rambo wannabe with good hair and a conman smile. She was classy, refined, intelligent, as well as incredibly beautiful, but she was also a little too trusting and naïve. She didn't see that Don was going to leave her after a few months. Don never stayed with one woman for very long, always afraid that he was going to either miss something or hurt them. He, on the other hand, had been married once already. The marriage hadn't ended because of him. His stupid bitch of an ex-wife decided to step out on him. He'd given her everything and then she went and slept with some Marine sergeant half his age. Shaking that thought from his head, he followed Charlotte back to her car, then back to her house. After all, he didn't want to be late for their session. It was his weekly dose of serenity.

The Town Hall restaurant was crowded even for a Friday night, but Don quickly found the two women in the corner booth and felt his anxiety subside. He'd spent the entire drive across town going over Charlotte's unique and identifying features so he didn't kiss the wrong woman, but when he arrived, he found that her sister had short blonde hair as opposed to Charlotte's long raven locks. "Cheryl, it is so good to meet you. Your sister has told me so much about you."

"Likewise, Don." Cheryl said with her heavy Southern drawl. "Lotty has been going on and on about you for years. I feel like I've known you for as long as she has."

"Cher!" Charlotte looked over at her sister with horror.

The blonde laughed. "Mom and Dad aren't here to embarrass you the way they did when Chase and I got engaged. So, the job falls to me since I'm the eldest."

"By two minutes. That doesn't count." They shared another laugh.

For the next hour, Don listened to his fiancée's warm Southern drawl return as they sat and talked with her sister. It was amazing how two women who looked so much alike could be so different, and not just in their hair color. While Cheryl still lived not ten miles from the house where they grew up in Savannah and held fast to her Southern roots, Charlotte had gone to great lengths to lose her accent and had traveled the globe in her pursuit of knowledge. Cheryl was happy being a housewife to a successful businessman while Charlotte would be lost without her career. The list was endless, but there were also so many similarities. They reminded him of the relationship he had with his brother. They agreed more than they disagreed lately, but when they were growing up they saw eye to eye on nothing.


	13. Chapter 13

"Thank you

"Thank you." Charlotte smiled with a sigh and wrapped her arms around her fiancé's neck as he helped her out of his SUV.

"You're welcome, but what for?"

"For being your usual charming self and for not running out in the middle of dinner."

"I'm glad I didn't have to run out either, but it wasn't hard to be charming. You bring out the best in me." Leaning down, he kissed her. "Besides, hearing that Southern drawl come out put me in a good mood. It seems I only get to hear it when," she kissed him before he could finish his statement and he laughed. "What? I was going to say when you talk to your sister."

"Sure you were."

He laughed again at the smirk on her face. "What did you think I was going to say?"

"Something that a Southern lady doesn't discuss in the open."

"Then, by all means," taking her hand, he started walking to their door, "let's not be out in the open." Her easy laugh floated on the night air and made him smile wider as they stepped into the house where he kissed her again. Guiding them up the stairs, their clothing falling like breadcrumbs from the stairs to their bedroom, he fell with her onto their bed, caressing her soft porcelain skin. "Ah, damn." He tried to catch his breath after hearing his cell phone ring.

"I guess I must have jinxed it, Darlin'. I'm sorry."

The drawl was back and he smiled before answering. "Eppes."

"I'm guessing," she said, her accent gone, when he hung up, "I have to take a rain check because you have to turn into Secret Agent Man."

Don kissed her before standing up. "Yeah, but I am going to try to be home later tonight and you are welcome to collect." She laughed and he kissed her one last time before running out.

He'd heard her laugh, his heart warming for that moment in time, until he opened his eyes and felt nauseous again. An intelligent woman like Charlotte Stegmann didn't belong with a wimp like Don Eppes. She belonged with him and it was all he could do not to go to her when he watched Don leaving. Don had been doing a lot of leaving in the middle of the night. If he were with Charlotte, he'd never leave her in the middle of the night. Then again, he thought as he answered his cell phone, there was sometimes no choice in the matter.

Wednesday afternoon, Charlotte smiled when she heard the familiar voice behind her at the hospital. "Should I be worried that my fiancé is at the hospital on a bright and beautiful afternoon?"

"Should I be worried that my fiancée is wearing scrubs instead of the jeans and t-shirt she left the house in this morning and it's only three o'clock?"

She laughed as she turned around. "I had to admit a patient and things got a little messy on the ward. Care to answer my question?"

"I had a suspect go through a plate glass window and there's a doc in the ER stitching him up before I can interrogate him." Leaning down, he kissed her. "You look good in white."

She smirked and he kissed her again, but she pulled away when she heard her name being paged. "I'll see you later?"

"I hope to have this case wrapped up at a reasonable hour."

"I love you, Baby."

"I love you too." He smiled and watched her jog down the hall to the psych ward.

"Now, this is a familiar sight." Alan smiled as he walked out from the kitchen that night to see Charlie walking in the door. "Charlie in scrubs showing up for dinner after an eighteen hour shift." He laughed. "Good to know some things don't change."

"Nope, just the commute back to my place."

"If I remember, there were plenty of nights Charlie put you up in the guest room."

"Oh, there were plenty of nights I fell asleep either on the couch or in the guest room and ran back to the hospital, but there were also the nights where I knew I had an exam coming up and forced myself to drive back to my dorm room."

"And I worried then just like I'm worried now, as though you were my daughter. I'm just glad you aren't driving tonight. You look like you are asleep on your feet the same as you did then." He smiled. "Though you are welcome to spend the night for old times sake."

She laughed. "No, I think I can make it across the street."

"Why were you at the hospital today?"

"I was at the hospital on an unrelated matter when I got word that a doctor on the psych ward wasn't able to make his shift. So, I volunteered to cover."

"You and my sons. None of you know when to stop working." Alan shook his head. "Donny's out back and dinner will be on the table in a few minutes."

Charlotte smiled. It was the same speech she'd gotten on more than one night when she had come off of a 36-hour shift with no sleep and only a few cups of strong hospital coffee for sustenance. It was nice to know that she had at least one father left on earth, even if it was a surrogate.

The night air was cool, the smell of a summer rain being carried on the wind, as Don sat outside. The case he'd been working since Friday had finally ended, but not the way he had hoped. They'd done everything they could, except be there before their suspect jumped to his death. The man was scum, but that wasn't justice. It left him feeling empty, hollow, like everything was unresolved, yet their victim had actually wept with joy at the news of the death. There were sometimes he just couldn't understand people. "Hey." Charlotte, his beautiful, innocent, wife-to-be stepped into his line of sight and broke his introspection for a moment.

"Rough day?"

Reaching out for her, he took her onto his lap and held her close. "Yeah."

She kissed his cheek before placing her head against his shoulder. "What those brown eyes must see." Kissing his neck as he sipped his beer, she knew better than to ask if he wanted to talk about it. He never did, always thinking that he could protect her from his world, and she could only hope that he was talking with his shrink about everything he dealt with on a daily basis because she didn't want to have to make the decision to admit him.

"How was your day? How'd it go at the hospital?" He spoke after a few minutes, her warmth and light pulling him back to reality.

"Seeing you was certainly the highlight."

"Same here." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Mmm," he kissed her again, "I was wondering,"

"Yes?" She smiled and kissed him, his hand tangling in her hair, holding her close.

"Maybe next week," he laughed as she leaned in and kissed him again, "you and I,"

"Yes?" They shared a laugh and she kissed him again.

"I need my lips to finish," she kissed him again, though he didn't pull away, "to finish my sentence, Babe."

"If you insist." She watched him smile before she kissed him one last time and lay back down against his shoulder.

Even in the soft moonlight, her beautiful blue eyes had clarity to them, a visible sparkle, gleam, that caused his smile to widen. Never in his life had he met someone as magnetic and truly charismatic as Charlotte Stegmann. She always knew what to say, what to do, how to be around him no matter what mood he was in. She was the reason he awoke most mornings with a smile. She made him want to be the man she saw through those expressive blue orbs. "I was talking with Dr. Bradford today and he suggested that maybe you might want to sit in on our session next week."

"I'd be happy to clear my schedule for you, Baby."

"Thank you."

"Anytime. I just need you to do something for me."

"What's that?"

Placing her hand along the side of his face, feeling the rough evening stubble beneath her palm, she leaned in and kissed him with all the passion, lust, and genuine love he evoked from her with nothing more than a gentle look. Once, twice, three times, then she smiled, caressing his cheek with her thumb. "That'll do."

"Happy to oblige."


	14. Chapter 14

The next week, Colby smiled at the end of his session. He always seemed to smile when he saw Charlotte, a beautiful woman with the perfect career. She was so kind and understanding. Able to really listen to what he had to say and give him helpful advice. She never nagged at him and was almost never in a bad mood. "Thanks, Charlie. I'll see you next week?"

"Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel."

"Sounds good." He made a move to hug her, but stopped himself. "I know, boundaries."

"Colby," she laughed and shook her head, "hugging is not violating the boundaries of the doctor/patient relationship."

"Good, because I rather like hugging you." He smiled when she laughed again as they embraced. "See you next week."

"Have a good week, Colby."

Running down the stairs, he noticed the familiar spring in his step and his smile get an inch wider, though that faded when he saw the black SUV parked across the street and one house away. It was always parked in the same spot every week, but this week she'd asked him to come in a half hour early because she said she had an appointment after his session. "Charlie?" He ran back up the stairs to the solarium. "Charlie, do you have another client scheduled?"

"Number one, I can't answer that. Number two, Colby, it's none of your concern." This wasn't like him. Ever since they'd spoken about his transference issues, he'd minded their limits, even turned them into a game, as he had just moments before. "What's going on?"

"There's a black SUV parked outside that always seems to be there with the driver behind the wheel. Are you under security?"

"Not that I am aware of, and no, I don't have another client. You are my only client on Wednesday." His tone scared her. This wasn't her friend and client. This was the FBI agent that Don had requested for his team.

"OK, here's what you are going to do. You are going to walk outside with me and I am going to drive you to wherever you need to go. Then, I'm going to have Don pick you up to drive you home. You are going to be fine."

"I'm going to meet Don, but I don't see why I need to be in virtual protective custody."

"Because that SUV is parked there every week, save last week. I chalked it up to another client who didn't want to get seen before their time, but not now."

Where was he? Agent Granger was always out five minutes after his session ended. He sat in his Bureau issued SUV and stewed. Charlotte, his beautiful and perfect specimen of a woman, always sat on the front porch after Granger's exit and worked on paperwork when the weather was as sunny as it was that day and given that Granger was early, it just meant he'd get to watch her for that much longer. It was that vision that he'd missed for the last week and a half while he was away on assignment. It was that vision that kept him going. Where the hell was she?

"Thank you for driving me, Agent Granger. I don't know what is wrong with my car." Charlotte attempted to remain calm as Colby escorted her out to his Suburban, but her anxiety level was through the roof.

"It's my pleasure, Dr. Stegmann." Colby kept his hand on her back as they walked, making sure he always stayed at least on step in front of her, between her and whatever was parked across the street.

Don paced the waiting room of his shrink's office. Colby's words echoed in his head. A strange SUV was parked outside his house, outside their house, just outside where Charlotte was alone inside. There was part of him that wanted to race over there and rip the bastard limb from limb, but he waited. He'd play it by the book for now. She was in good hands with Colby and she was on her way to him. "Hey Charlie." He reached out for her when she burst into the room and felt her begin to shake and grip the back of his t-shirt. "Shh, I've got you. You're safe now."

She tried to use his strength, his calm, to keep her emotions in check, because she did feel safe. In Don's arms was the one place in the world she felt completely safe, but her fear was too great and she felt the hot tears beginning to make their tracks down her cheeks. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard Colby and Don discussing strategy, but she was locked in her own head. All she could hear was her increased heart rate and breathing. Finally, she pulled away and wiped her face. She had to be rational. She had to face the situation head on. She had to follow her own advice. Take a deep breath and break the problem down into parts. There was no option for falling apart. There was no time for a panic attack.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She nodded, but she didn't look at him. "Here," he helped her to the couch, "Charlie, you're fine. You know that right? We're just acting with an abundance of caution." Again, she only nodded.

"Wow," Dr. Bradford came out of his office, "I'm used to people crying in my office, not outside. Come on in."

"No," Don stood up, "I think I'm going to take her home. There is a lot going on that we need to deal with."

"Which is exactly why we should keep to our appointment with Dr. Bradford." Charlotte spoke and took his hand. "I'm fine, Baby, really." She forced a weak smile and watched his brown eyes question her. "It's a mild panic attack. That's all. This is the perfect place to be."

"She's exactly right." Dr. Bradford showed them into the inner office. "Can you talk about what brought on the anxiety attack?"

"I'd prefer not to. Let's concentrate on the topic at hand. This is Don's session after all."

He laughed. "I think I've used that smile and those words too many times myself, but I can take the hint as long as you are sure it has passed."

"It will. I know I'm safe here."

"And why is that?"

It was her turn to smile, and she leaned more against Don, allowing his arm to completely encircle her shoulders. "Because Don is here."

"And how does Don being here make you feel safe?"

"With his intellect and skill, I know that he has the necessary tools to evaluate a situation and orchestrate a positive outcome."

"Except when it doesn't." Don commented.

"No, Don," she turned to face him and placed her hand on his chest, "it always has because you walked away and saved countless others. I can only imagine what it's like to do what you do and I know how heavy your decisions weigh on you at times, but you need to remember the lives that have benefited from your decisions. I know that it's tough sometimes because you always run towards what we are all running from but, at the end of the day, when you walk through our front door, you have orchestrated a positive outcome to the day."

He kissed her hand. "Yeah, Charlie, coming home to you is always a good thing."

Blinking back tears, she turned back around. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to seize control there."

"Not at all." Dr. Bradford smiled a soft smile. "I don't know if I would have said the exact things, but you hit the nail on the head."

"She usually does." Don coughed to control his emotions. "While I'm running towards what everyone else is running from, she's standing in the crowd helping the people coming at her."

They all smiled and Charlotte relaxed into Don's embrace for the remainder of the session, the worry, even the thought, of her potential stalker was out of her head. All that filled her head was the counseling, the focus on their relationship, working on building and strengthening what they had while it was still there rather than waiting until it fell apart. It was what she needed, what they needed.

Special Agent Colby Granger. What made him so damn special? What made him think that he could chase him from watching Charlotte? The look in the agent's eyes as he'd escorted Charlotte from her home had told him that he suspected something. So, he headed back to the motor pool and picked up a Charger sedan instead of the black SUV. This way he could always say that he was sent to watch the house for the suspicious vehicle. He was there to watch out for Charlotte, to make sure that she was safe, to make sure that the idiot Don Eppes didn't do anything to hurt her. As the two of them stepped out of Don's vehicle an hour after she left, he fought a wave of nausea. Don Eppes was not the man for a sophisticated woman like Charlotte. He'd seen him cheat on other girlfriends, get involved with agents under his command, and try to keep relationships going just because he didn't want to be alone. The man was messed up. Charlotte deserved better. Charlotte deserved him.


	15. Chapter 15

"Babe, I'd really like you to work from the hospital. At least until we find out who this guy is." Don argued with her again over dinner. The woman was almost as stubborn as he was, which is why he was bringing the subject up for the third time.

"No. If this person hasn't made a move yet, I don't think he will. Colby said that the SUV only sits outside the house watching. Most people who watch don't act unless prompted. I don't plan on giving him a reason to act and I don't plan on exposing my patients to the cold environment of a hospital office setting."

"Then I'm going to sit Colby and David outside just to be safe."

"You will not. That's why my program works. It is completely anonymous and two agents parked outside, watching everyone who walks in the front door, takes that away." Charlotte stood up and began clearing the dishes, hoping her act would signal an end to their conversation. "Donny, I'll be fine. I'll just have to re-evaluate my patients so I can try to curb the transference issues."

"And while you're doing that, Colby and David are going to make sure that the guy doesn't try anything."

She stood up and began to clear the dishes, attempting to control her temper. "Don, I will not subject my patients to that kind of notoriety. That's why my program works. There's a privacy factor."

"Charlie, this isn't up for debate. They're already scheduled to be here tomorrow morning."

"Don!"

"What?!" He pushed back his chair as he prepared to get into it. "I'm doing my job. I'm keeping you safe."

"You're violating my patients' privacy."

"They'll just have to understand because I don't know what I would do if something happened you, Charlotte!"

She just watched him storm out of the house in shock from what he said. It had never entered her thoughts that he was acting out of concern for her. All she saw the FBI trying to violate the agreement she'd fought long and hard to obtain.

"She just doesn't get it." Don watched his house from the living room window of his brother's place. "All she thinks is that this is some devious plot to find out who her clients are. I don't care who her clients are."

Alan Eppes was glad his son couldn't see the smile that flashed across his face for a second. Don and Charlotte were very similar in the way they put their careers before anything else. So, of course she wouldn't see that Don was concerned about her well-being. "Donny, think about it from her perspective. She's earned the trust of people who, by nature, don't trust very easily. What would you do if your shrink was suddenly under surveillance?"

"I guess I see your point, but it's for her own good. I need to know she's safe."

"I know you do, but it's not about you this time. She has to worry about her patients."

"They aren't my concern. Dad, I really don't know how I would live if anything happened to her."

"I know, Donny." He stood up and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Why don't you go back and tell her that?"

"I already have."

"No, you yelled it at her and stormed out. You need to be vulnerable for longer than a few seconds so she can see your point."

Charlotte heard the front door about an hour after he'd left, but she continued doing the dishes. She was going to allow Don to have a few more minutes to cool down before she broached the subject again, mainly because she was going to agree with one of his suggestions, but she wasn't going to apologize.

He heard the water running and grabbed a towel as he walked into the kitchen. There wasn't a word spoken for the entire time she washed and he dried. Neither one wanted to admit to being wrong, nor was he going to do it because he wasn't going to apologize for wanting to keep her safe.

"I've called my patients and I'll begin seeing them at the hospital on Monday." She spoke as she dried her hands.

"Thank you."

"Don, I never knew that you felt that way and I apologize for discounting,"

"Charlie," he kissed her, "please leave the shrink speak for another time. Can't we just call this conversation done?"

"For now."

"Great." Taking her into his arms, he sighed. "I meant what I said."

"I feel the same way, Baby. I don't know what I would do without you."

The hospital? Why the hospital again? Charlotte was just there last week. First stupid Colby Granger had spent Thursday and Friday of the previous week in her kitchen, drinking her coffee, now she was headed to the hospital on a Monday morning. There was something off, but it didn't really concern him. Charlotte working from the hospital just meant that he could see more of her because it was easier to blend into the constant flowing crowd and he smiled as he parked on the roof of the parking structure and made his way to the psych ward.

The psychiatric wing of UCLA Medical Center wasn't as heavily guarded as Colby would have thought. It resembled any other department in the prestigious facility except, at the end of the hall, there was a solid, three inch thick, steel door that separated the institutionalized whack jobs from the doctor's offices. It wasn't as ideal to protecting Charlotte as he wanted, but it at least kept him closer than in the kitchen of her house. She still wasn't allowing him to even sit in the waiting room, instead he was banished to the nurses' station, but he wasn't complaining about that. He had her office in sight and that was all he wanted.

Damn, Colby Granger! He cursed under his breath. What the hell was he doing at the hospital? What was going on? Everyone was able to be close to his Charlotte except him. Don Eppes had been escorting her even to the grocery store, which bothered him, and now Colby was sitting right outside of her office. There was only one way, apparently, that he was going to get close to her now.


	16. Chapter 16

"Ian Edgerton!" Charlotte smiled and hugged her patient at ten that morning. "How have you been?"

"That's a loaded question coming from you, Doc." The good-looking FBI sniper laughed as he took a seat on the couch. "Does this new location have anything to do with Granger chasing skirts at the nurses' station?"

"We're not here to talk about me, Ian, and you never answered my question. How has everything been since we last spoke two weeks ago?"

The noon sun was baking the Greater Los Angeles area, but the heat didn't seem to get to Don. The weather was the least of his concerns. In fact, he preferred it hot. No one was going to sit in their car when the thermostat was over eighty degrees and Colby would have called him if there had been any suspicious activity on the ward. "Hey there, Beautiful." He smiled as he walked into Charlotte's open office door.

"Hi Buttercup." Colby grinned as he stood up and Don laughed. "I'll leave you two."

"Actually, I'm here to relive you, Colby. Thanks, Man."

"I was happy to help." He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Charlie."

"You have a good team that you work with." Charlotte curled up next to her fiancé on the couch after Colby left. "I don't know that I would be able to handle sitting out at the nurses' station for four hours."

"I don't know that it was all that bad. Have you seen some of those nurses?" Don smirked.

"Every last one of them could take Special Agent Colby Granger and, possibly, Special Agent Don Eppes if they had to so I wouldn't try anything."

"I'll remember that." He laughed and kissed her. "How'd it go today?"

"Well, I didn't get a visit from anyone who attempted to kidnap me if that's what you want to know."

"Come on, Charlie. You know what I mean. Did you come any close to getting me a name of a person who may have those transference issues you were talking about bad enough to stalk you?" His smile faded.

She pulled away and returned to her chair. "Even if I did, I can't tell you."

"If you feel he's going to be a danger to himself or others, you have to tell me."

"Don't quote my obligations to me, Don. Believe me, I know my obligations. I also hold doctor/patient privilege near and dear."

"Charlotte, are you aware that this person, whoever they are, has committed a crime? According to Colby, he's been sitting outside our house since we returned from Colorado. They are not good people. They can not be helped."

"And how would you know? No one can tell me anything except that he drives a Bureau issued Suburban and he may have transference issues. Hate to tell you, but that's not a lot to go on. I will not risk my license over something so vague."

He stood up and turned his back to her. "Damn it, your life is in danger every moment this guy is on the street!"

"Don," she crossed her legs, "why are you being so dramatic? I told you before, if he hasn't done anything by now, I doubt he will. Most who watch, don't act until there is a stressor."

"Like you moving your office to a restricted wing of the UCLA Medical Center? And as for me being dramatic, hell yeah, I'm going to take this seriously, Charlotte. This dumb prick has messed with my family!" He took a deep breath and lowered his tone. "I thought we'd hashed out this argument on Wednesday. It's my job to keep you safe and I can't do that when you are fighting me every step of the way. If you won't do it for yourself, how about remembering that my father and my brother live across the street. Let me get this guy to protect them as well."

She sighed. "I wish I could, Donny, but I can't. If I come across any patients this week that are a danger,"

"You'll let me know." He shook his head as he squared himself in the window, his earwig sounding with David's voice that they'd found the shooter and he was lining up the shot.

He'd heard the car behind him, but he figured he could get a shot off before Dweedle Dee and Dweedle Dumb could take him into custody. Wrapping his finger around the trigger, he took one last controlled breath and squeezed the trigger as he felt a foot in his back and heard a voice telling him to drop the weapon. He'd seen Eppes fall. His work was done. "Nice of you to join me finally, Granger."


	17. Chapter 17

Charlotte screamed when the bullet shattered the window and sent Don to the floor. Rushing to his side, she pulled open his shirt to check the wound and found a Kevlar vest and a mangled bullet. That didn't stop her from doing a cursory exam and calling for the nurses. "I want a head CT, chest film, and full MRI. If he gives you a hard time, strap him down." She commanded as the nurses came in with a gurney.

"Charlie, I'm fine."

"You fell backwards pretty hard. I want to rule out a concussion." She walked behind the gurney as they rolled him down to radiology.

"I'm not Granger." Edgerton's steely voice sounded as he pressed his handgun into the shooter's head. "Granger would hesitate before he pulled the trigger. I won't. Drop it or I drop you."

He laughed and let go of his rifle. "Deed's done. Might as well let you take me into custody."

Edgerton used his foot and rolled the scumbag onto his back so he could see the look in his eyes. "Hate to disappoint, but you missed your mark." There was a look of shock that caused his smile to widen and he held up his cell phone. "Say hello to Agent Eppes."

"Hello Agent Wood. Sorry to tell you, but you missed." Don managed before the nurse took his cell phone.

"How did you know?" Agent Wood began to sputter as Edgerton tightened the cuffs on his wrists. "How did you know I was aiming for Eppes?"

"Because you never seemed to be around when he was and we knew you wouldn't pass up this sweet opportunity to take him out long range. Too bad you were so damn obvious."

Charlotte palpated the area around the now pronounced bruise on Don's chest, double-checking the results she saw on the x-ray before the MRI films were available. "If you stop squirming, it will hurt a lot less, Darlin'."

The sound of her slight Southern drawl caused him to smile and he took her hand. "I'm fine, Babe."

"You are not fine." She pulled away. "You were shot!"

"And the Kevlar vest did its job. I'm still in one piece."

"I haven't confirmed that."

"I can confirm that."

"Pardon me if I wait for the test results." She walked out to see what in hell was taking the radiologist so long.

"I just saw Charlie staring at x-rays. Is everything OK?" Charlie walked into the exam room and questioned his brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but Charlie isn't taking this situation so well."

"This is how she copes, Don. When her father got sick, she reran every test, retook every film, and recalculated every dose. She can't handle when someone close to her is sick. She turns into Super Doctor."

"I'm not sick."

"That's subject to interpretation." Charlotte didn't care that Charlie was standing there, didn't even notice him. Just started in on the man on the exam table. "Your films actually confirm that you are still alive, but I need you to tell me why on earth you did something so stupid? What would have happened if the vest hadn't worked? What about your reason for not telling me your plan so I could at least prepare for it? If you can answer those questions, I won't admit you for observation because of your mild concussion caused when your head made contact with the tile floor of my office."

"There wasn't time. Colby and David were able to analyze red light camera footage that showed that whenever I came home, Agent Wood left. That's when we realized that he was after me, not you."

"Agent Wood? You mean Collin Wood?" Her outrage turned to shock.

"Would you have chosen him?"

Charlotte sat down. How could she have been so blind? Collin had been friendly, but she had never saw anything that she would have called transference or obsession. "No. Excuse me. I have to go."


End file.
